Papal cross commemorating Pope John Paul II’s visit to Ireland in 1979

Ten of Ireland’s most accomplished artists have each produced a piece that reflects on some aspect of life in Dublin during the 20th Century

Gifted sculptor Andrew Clancy takes on the papal visit of 1979, a dizzying high point of Catholicism in Ireland. John Paul II, the newly elected Polish pope, was love-bombed by Irish youth. The Phoenix Park mass in Dublin saw one in three Irish citizens in attendance.

Andrew’s bronze Papal Cross is engraved with three real-life accounts of the day – his own and two others. With the three stories ranging from moving to sweetly comic and quirky, he has reflected the whole human experience of the day, and created a contemporary relic.

With thanks to Andrew Clancy

Watch footage of the crowds at the Phoenix Park mass: